After The Rain
by ampersands
Summary: Ame's tricky ways land her in a spot of trouble, pulling her from her home world and casting her out into the unknown. Is trying to help a stranger worth losing her heart? No pairings so far. Chapters are a little short, but get longer after Chapter 9.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at writing in an OC, and it probably shows. **  
**_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. Damn._****

Chapter 1  
**_The Calm Before The Storm_**

* * *

"_Donald, look!"  
"Ehh?!"  
"A star's goin' out!"_

"Another one.." Ame sighed, rolling over. All the stars seemed to be going out lately - almost every night. Every night a star would disappear, and the morning right after people would turn up, confused and afraid. _  
I wonder what it's like..  
_She blew a few stray strands of blonde hair off her face, they kept tickling her nose. Resting her arm against her forehead, once again Ame tried to sleep.

_"Do _you _know where we are?"_

**....**

Descending the ladder down to the shop took more concentration than usual. Ame felt herself swaying as she came down each rung. When she felt her boots hit secure ground, she held her hand to her head, trying to balance herself. Maybe she didn't sleep as long as she'd thought..

"I swear, if one more person strides in here and sets the place on fire, I'll whack something."  
"Calm yourself, Dad." Stretching her arms above her head, Ame looked up to see Cid walking through the door, scowling and grumbling as usual. "I have to listen to those synthesizing Moogles going 'Kupo!' all night. These walls are pretty thin for brick ones." She rapped her knuckles against the wall.  
"Aye,"

Ame sighed, leaning against the counter. It wasn't exactly easy when your only living space is the bottom floor of a cramped shop and the top floor of a makeshift Moogle workshop. Traverse Town was small, but still..  
Then again, all the good houses were in the further districts .. and she didn't really want to live there.

"You right there?"  
Snapping out of her dreamy state, Ame smiled back at Cid.  
"Just thinking. I'm gonna go for a walk, 'kay?"  
"Sure thing."

Ame made her way to the door, tracing the PUSH engraving before exiting. She nodded in acknowledgement to a bewildered-looking brunette boy her age who was entering.  
"Don't be thinking too much, or else your brain'll turn to - GET OFF MY COUNTERS! Can I help you?"

A giggle that couldn't help itself escaped her lips, and Ame began her walk.  
There wasn't far to walk in such a small town.. she practically knew every empty space in the Town, except the rooms past the doors that refused to open. Ame stared at the dark ebony door that stood across from the Accessory Shop wistfully before continuing on. She waved hello to a Moogle as she passed them - the Moogle floated about in front of the door to the synthesizing area, which was currently blocked off to civilians.  
From what Ame could deduce, they were still in a testing process. She figured this from the various explosions that rocketed through her walls and made her bed rumble. Living above the Shop was helpful.. but.. annoying.

"Hmm," she glanced at the blue safe she saw across from her. The powder blue object had sat there for as long as Ame could remember. Over the years, a few curious people had jumped over the small barrier and smacked at it, but to no effect. She herself had never tried it.. She glanced around.  
Well, nothing else to do..

She strode forward, planting her hand on the hard surface, and swung herself over, eyes only on the safe.  
"Oof!" Once more holding her hand to her head, Ame brushed a few blonde strands out of her face, and stared down the safe. Who put it here anyway? What was in it?  
"Hmm.." she walked over and - not expecting much of a result - poked at it.  
"Nnrgh.."

"Oh! Er. Um. Sorry.." Blinking, she backed away from the talking safe, and barely avoided tripping over something behind her which caught her foot - oh! A person!

Feeling fairly awkward, Ame took a step back, observing the resting boy. His head was cast downward, chin on chest. Silvery blue hair with a soft kind of spike to it barely brushed his shoulders, and he wore distinctive clothes - it looked like a kind of yellow tank top? His pants were baggy in places and tight in others, a deep shade of blue. Comparing this to her simple blue shirt and cargo shorts, Ame felt rather unfashionable.  
"Hey.. you okay?"__

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Hm, I wonder who this could be? xP  
Review, if you please 3


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! Whoo, I got reviews~ That made me happy. I've tried to adjust the dialogue a little so you can understand it a tad better; and if you get the fairly-obvious CC reference in this chapter .. you get .. a cookie. Or something. This chapter's a bit longer, kinda a plot device D: Oh, but aren't all chapters? -poetic-  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters.

**Chapter 2**  
_**Stranger**_  


* * *

Concerned, Ame kicked at the boy's ankle lightly.  
"Hello.. ?" No response.  
Ame leaned down, propping her hands on her knees. "Hellooo~ .. Geez."  
She knew people came from other .. places nowadays, Cid had told her a lot of things were happening outside the Town, and people might be a bit disoriented. She also knew of the strange creatures lurking in the last two districts - but she doubted that's what this person was.

"Ehn.."  
"Hooray!" Ame leaned back, clasping her hands behind her. The boy began to lift himself from the ground, and looked up at her.  
Her deep eyes absorbed his stare, and she swayed slightly, smiling at him. "I almost thought I lost you there."

"Kairi.. ?" His ruffled fringe covered his eyes now, before he could straighten himself he groaned and fell back on his knees.  
"No, I'm Ame. Look.. You're in Traverse Town, a lot of people turn up here after their homes get destroyed.. do you know if that happened to you?"  
Silence. She ran her eyes over him quickly, he seemed to be thinking.

"Riku."  
"I don't know any Rikus or Kairis, I'm sorry - "  
"It's my name."  
"Oh! Nice to meet you, Riku." She extended a hand, both to greet and to aid. He looked up at her with a cold gaze, instead pushing himself from his knees to her feet.

Getting up from his knees, Ame realised he must have been a bit older than her, as he stood a bit higher than herself. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, and Ame saw now that he had perfectly clear eyes, a shade of blue she never saw in this dull part of town. Suddenly she felt far more self-conscious than usual, and while she was far from blushing, her eyes didn't really know where to place themselves. She rested them just below his eyes, and smiled awkwardly.

"I can't help you find that Kairi person, not really, but if you come with me my dad knows loads of people like you."  
"Like me?" He didn't seem to be looking straight at her, instead roaming his eyes. When he did look up at her, she cast her own eyes downwards. Not out of embarrassment .. fear, maybe.  
"People who are lost. You are lost, right?"  
"I'll find my way. I'm not afraid." He turned away from her.

She blinked. "Um. Okay, but don't go past that big door in the square, either of them. There's dark stuff back there, people disappear." Even if the boy was awfully ungrateful, she didn't want someone who just got torn away from their life to get lost once again. What about his parents..

"Darkness?"  
"Y-Yeah."  
Ame shrunk back, her thighs grazing the safe. Riku's hands clenched, the muscles showing in his arms. He turned towards her, his clear eyes darker now.  
"Thank you for your help."

".. H-Hey. Where'd you go?!"--

"You know past the Second District is where people disappear! You know it!"  
"I'll have you know, a few friends of mine live way back through the Districts in some of them old hotel rooms. I'm sure that boy'll meet them and be fine, don't you worry your little head about it. Then again, to up and leave you like that," Cid's toothpick swayed a little as he flexed his jaw, wiping at the counter. "Aargh, if people didn't keep setting that fireplace alight it might stay below burnin' temperature more often."

Ame ran her fingers through her dark blonde hair, her eyes fixated on the counter which seemed to become dirtier with every swipe from Cid's old dishcloth. She sat on the couch across from the counter, but still could make out the smears of grime. He didn't leave her, he just kinda.. vanished.  
"Maybe.. maybe Riku's heart is strong enough."  
"From what you've told me, if it measures up to his ego he'll be just fine and dandy." Cid met Ame's eyes as they strayed, and he sighed. "You don't know the boy. He's a stranger, Ame. For all we know he could be working with those black things since he's not so afraid of 'em."

"He was a person, Dad. Not some weird cloaked guy."  
"Okay, okay. I see how you feel about it. You're a good kid, you know that?"  
"Please don't ruffle my hair," she grumbled, walking over the counter and flashing him a weak smile. Cid smirked and lightly nicked his daughter over the bridge of her nose with his knuckle.

As Ame slid under her sheets that night, she pulled them a tad further over her neck and past her nose, till she could barely see through the window on the wall across from her bed. Dark shadows made shapes across her ceiling, and she couldn't help but imagine them creeping down towards her, their fingers scratching through her blankets ...  
She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her bottom lip.

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Please, if you read, REVIEW! It motivates me~


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

Not a big fan of this chapter n_n Ame seemed too idiotic, but I need it as a plot device.  
**  
Chapter 3  
_..._**

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"You sleep good?" Again, Cid was scrubbing at the counter, looking up to greet Ame as she descended from the upper floors. She shook her head, and he furrowed his brow before looking down back at the cloth. He twisted it in his hands, the grime off his workman's hands rubbing off. "You wanna talk 'bout it?"  
As the shop's door swung closed, Cid didn't even need to lift his gaze to tell she was gone.

Ame's hair felt scratchy against her chin, which was shining with a light slick of sweat to match her palms, which were pressed against the hard wood of the door to the next district.  
_Cid has friends there.. If they'd find Riku they'd find me..  
_She knew this was stupid - going after a pain of a guy who had rejected her help, but she'd feel bad if she didn't at least try. The watchful eyes of the other citizens lay upon her back, but she simply pulled her shoulders closer to her chest and shoved the door forward.

It followed her will easier than she'd thought, and she stumbled slightly, looking through what was shown from a single push.  
Small dark puddles appeared on the gravelly ground, too close to the entry than was comfortable. They seemed to throb, as if they were indecisive over whether to reveal what lay within themselves or not. She caught a glimpse of two glowing orbs within the puddles, and before she could change her mind she pushed the door open; slamming it closed as she ran as fast as she could away from the puddles.

Lights flashed past her eyes, and while she wasn't about to trip she wasn't exactly perfectly balanced either. She tried to make sense of the scene, but the sight of puddles constantly forming about her feet frightened her, giving her a feeling of bewildered euphoria as she ran.  
When she came to be out of breath, she realised she had met another door. This seemed more forboding than the last, despite flashy lights gleaming around it cheerfully. Her pained eyes strained to reach the top of the doorframe.

"Ugh.." She bent over, leaning against the door. A rattling noise came from behind her, and Ame twirled to find a strange.. creature.. what _was _that?!  
"Leave me alone already!" She screeched - the monster simply rattled in response. It seemed mainly composed on pure.. darkness. It was that or the creature's armour cast shadows upon its face. Crude curves made up a kind of helmet for it, and below was navy fabric imprinted with a strange logo that seemed to be something with barbed wire covering it.

"I don't have.. anything!" Her cries seemed meaningless as it danced towards her, and she lunged at it. It was barely half her height, just because she couldn't see its face shouldn't indimi - ow.  
Ame collided with the ground, pain clawing up her face. It took her a moment to realise she had dived _through _the creature. Perhaps it _was_ made of darkness..

"What do you think you're doing?! Be careful!" A young voice rang through her ears, and she lifted her head to see a flash of green and black cut through the monster with some kind of blade. How strange she had never been to these districts yet..  
"Get up!" The voice cut off her thoughts, and she crumpled her face, the pain shooting up her cheek again. "Come on!"

Pulling herself up, Ame looked behind her to see her rescuer.  
"The Great Ninja Yuffie, at your service!" The girl extended a hand, and Ame blinked lazily. The 'Great Ninja' had clothes similar to her own, but more intricate .. and revealing. Her long white socks were torn slightly, and as she panted the light bruise on her left cheek seemed to deepen. She flicked her dark hair out of her eyes and grabbed Ame by the hand.  
"Come on, let's get you somewhere safe, eh?"

Being dragged along by some girl - who had a rather large, threatening-looking shuriken glinting in the other hand - through a horde of strange darkness blobs wasn't how Ame had planned it. Wait, Cid said he had friends through the district ..

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Read and review please~ I'd like to know how I'm doing fitting in an OC.  
(I still don't like this chapter. I swear the next is better.)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do, however, own Ame. Half of this chapter was written by ilyfromjess because I phail with writer's block. Rawr.

This chapter (& the next) are for my friend Jess - she finally published her story Lies Upon Our Lips, which I've been helping her with. I swear I almost wrote the thing myself xD So, PM her and thank her for the double update! xDD

(Lies Upon Our Lips by ilyfromjess - READ EET.)

**Chapter Four  
**_**Allies**_

**

* * *

  
**

_*"Rain.. ?" _

_The waterfalls surrounding the castle flowed unerring. They had paused their current for a moment - only a moment - when the boy who lay in the courtyard had first arrived. The water curved over the basin with serene murmurs._

Ame looked down at the hardwood floors, tucking her hands between her knees while she sat on the bed. She felt a tear slip down her stinging cheek, and raised her hand to wipe it off.  
"Hey! Why the sad face?!" The dark haired ninja leaned over, her dark eyes wide.  
"I'm.. not sure. That's weird." Ame replied. She could still feel Yuffie's eyes on her, and forced a smile. "Sorry, Yuffie. I think.."

"It might just be shock," a kind voice said. "I guess you aren't used to that kind of thing, huh?"

"No… I've never been in the other Districts…" Ame cringed slightly as she attempted a smile, the open cut protesting at the movement.  
"Would you like me to fix that for you?" The girl with the kind voice asked, looking at Ame's cheek with concern.

"I'll be okay, thank you." Ame said, smiling carefully without cringing this time. She looked around the small room, taking in the features. Nearly everything was bright red, or some shade of the color, from the bed to the walls to the door. She was sitting on a bed in the middle of the room, and Yuffie was leaning against the far wall. The other girl stood in front of her, looking at the cut on Ame's check with worry. A small table stood in the corner with a vase of fake flowers on it.

"Hey… Cid know you're here?" Yuffie asked, coming over and poking her finger out at Ame's chest.

"Umm…" Ame reached up to pull her hair in front of her eyes, hoping to get out of answering. She inspected her hair closely, looking for any spots of blood or dirt. The blonde strands were clean, but appeared slightly crimped.

"We know you don't want to worry him.." The girl in pink (who was yet to introduce herself) sat on the bed beside Ame, touching her hand comfortingly.

"No.. and he doesn't need to either." Ame leaned back, away from Yuffie's accusing finger, and rolled over to stand on the other side of the bed from the girl and Yuffie. "I should get home before he notices, too," she muttered, biting her thumb.

"Well, let us take you home," Yuffie said, rising from the side of the bed where she sat. "The last thing we want is more Heartless attacking you."  
"Heartless?"  
"Heartless," the other girl said, "are people who have lost their hearts to darkness. A lot of people who come through here turn into Heartless.."  
"Riku.." Ame murmured. "Do you see people turn into Heartless? Because the reason I kinda came through here was to find this guy I met."  
"Your boooyfriend?" Yuffie winked.

"I just met him," Ame said quietly. "Silvery hair, kinda muscled arms, blue eyes..?"  
The two thought for a moment, and Ame twisted her hands together nervously. Her description had been frail, she had to admit. She brushed at her dark shorts for a few moments before Yuffie piped up.

"Nope, never seen him. Tell ya what though, we _did _see a kid with brown hair. Kinda cute, called me some weird name though."  
"That's not what she was asking, Yuffie.." The other girl looked up at Yuffie with soft green eyes. "I'm sorry.. Aerith. I'm Aerith."  
"Oh, nice to meet you," Ame smiled. "So.. can you take me home?"  
"Sure thing!" Yuffie replied, seizing Ame's hand and pulling her out the door. "Oh, by the way, that's a really nice hairtie."  
"Really? Thanks, Cid - Hey, my munny!"

* * *

Yeah. Sorry if that wasn't as good as the others, when I got the part after Jess stopped I started failing. That's writer's block for you! Next one is muuuch better ;3  
(Also - I doubt you're wondering buuut perhaps you are, I will be fitting a fairly good description of Ame in eventually. Out of curiousity, how do you imagine her?)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Yaaay, time to meet Sora & co.!  
Fwoar. Review please ^^ Much appreciated, even though I know this fic is slowly degrading chapter by chapter T.T

**Chapter Five  
**_**Strange Shift**_

* * *

"So, you went to the Second District?" Cid rubbed his chin, leaning against the doorframe. His disapproving eyes followed her every moment closely. "Why?"  
".." Ame leaned back into the couch and swung her feet onto the coffee table. The force dislodged a few particles of dirt from the bottom of her boots, marking the fine glass. Cid grumbled, and drew his toothpick container from his back pocket.  
"You're like a beaver, you realise that?"  
He merely grumbled in response, before lifting his head. ".. You're not going to get away with it easily."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." She leaned over, resting her elbows on her knees. "I just.. ... I kinda wanted to help Riku."  
"Why? Y'think he's cute?"  
"_Dad_!"  
"Just sayin'."

".. I won't leave and go that far again. I promise."  
"Eh, I'm sure of that. You're minding the shop tomorrow.

...

"Hmm.." Ame tapped her foot, holding her palm to her cheek. Before her was the till, where Cid put what money they _did _receive. It was a dull bronze, with several buttons for numbers and others for .. well, she wasn't sure. Cid hadn't given her much instruction, just to 'keep 'em off my counters' and 'scrub'. She'd begun to notice a slight obsessive streak in her father nowadays.  
He had left to go speak with Leon about 'man business', which didn't make much sense since Ame knew Yuffie and that other girl would be there. Hmph.  
And she was left to mind the shop.

Giving up on trying to decipher the shopkeeper contraption, she rested on the balls of her feet. _  
I wonder what happened to Riku.._  
"No, I'm sure we can do it this time!" Ame lifted her head - there appeared to be some kind of argument going on outside. Ame wasn't very good at settling rows, but then again it was unlikely it was anything big .. was that a kid's voice?  
"Actually, you're not strong enough for it yet," a smaller voice said. So small it could have belonged to an ant, or a cricket. Ame caught herself mid-thought. Like crickets could talk.  
"You heard him Sora. Let's get back to the ship."

And that was when Ame stopped listening - she had _no idea _what the heck _that _voice was. She timidly yanked at her sleeves, feeling cold despite all the windows being sealed. A few minutes later, a familiar looking boy pulled the door open and stuck his head inside. His large, deep blue eyes stared at her for a moment.  
"Hey, where's Cid?" He must be a regular, that's how she knew his face. Ame sighed and scratched the back of her head with her short nails.  
"He's talking with some friends, but I can help if you need something." They could have it free, she thought, pulling out the sheet of prices. Anything to keep her away from that till.  
"Umm, actually - " The boy grinned sheepishly at her.  
" - we were just leaving." Through the door came a duck and what looked like a dog wearing clothes. .. And standing up.

"Gee Donald, be nice." And talking.  
"We kinda need help getting up there." The boy - who she concluded to be the 'Sora' - pointed up at the trapdoor to the Moogle's workshop. "We thought this green mark could help." She followed his eyes down to the floor, where the bright, permanent mark - the bane of her father's existence - smiled up at them from the dusty tiles.

The bearer of the cricket voice was nowhere to be seen. Ame rubbed her head. What a strange town she lived in.

"Well, I'm not sure about floor tattoos helping you, but I can." Opening the small gate between the counter and the rest of the room, she strode over - taking note of the varying heights of the three - and knocked at the wall.  
"Nono, Hurdy, lower the ladder please. You have customers," Ame called. Sora leaned forward with a quizzical look on his face, likely questioning her sanity. It probably did look strange for her to be talking to a fairly unresponsive wall, but then again it looked strange for a tall dog and a duck to be following a young boy around. Ame's mind wandered to the duck triplets who lived around here.

"I'm sorry, I don't think they're there right now."  
"Aw, that's okay. Sorry ta' cause you so much trouble." The dog grinned goofily at her, and she smiled.  
"It's no trouble," she looked into the young boy's eyes. They were.. a warm kind of blue. Welcoming. "I'm Ame, by the way."

"I'm Sora," Sora pointed to himself proudly with his thumb, and then gestured at his companions. "And this is Donald and Goofy."  
"Sora, Donald, Goofy, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't get you up there, ask Cid another time."

Sora grinned. Donald, who hadn't really said much since they entered, grumbled and tapped his foot. Goofy scratched his head.  
"Say, uh, Sora, how about you ask about those friends of yours?" It seemed whenever Goofy talked he needed to add a little giggle at the end. It was somewhat endearing.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Have you seen Kairi and Riku? Kairi's cute with short red hair .." ...  
"Riku's not here." Ame wasn't really thinking, the words just came out. "I.. I think I met your friend Riku a while ago. He left for the other districts. .. I don't think you're going to see your friend again, Sora." She looked down, twisting her fingers together. When she looked up, the three were gone, and the carpet in front of the door was scuffed, as if someone had very hastily run across it. She sighed, and rubbed her sweaty hands against her shorts. What a strange shift.

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Had to fix it after a typo Dx


	6. Ame

Ello guys! Night Blossom here (urrdurr). Sorry if I went and got you all excited with the new chapter :B This is just a chapter for me to describe Ame. You can skip it if you like, but this is to help people visualize her better. Why have it in an individual chapter? I'm not very good at fitting in random descriptions, it feels forced.

* * *

Ame's hair is thin and short - choppy even - and barely brushes her shoulders. It's slightly longer on one side than the other. The messy style is due to the fact that she tried cutting her own hair when Cid refused to pay for a decent haircut for her, and she's grown too attached to it to change it. Her hair is a cold blonde, a kind of cream colour, not warm like honey blonde. She has a side fringe which often gets in the way of her eyes, so she keeps a hairtie around her wrist with a clip fastened around it in case she needs it.

Her eyes are brown, deep with light hints of amber in them. They aren't striking or unusual, only eyes. Ame sometimes thinks that her eyes swallow up the gazes of people with colder, sharper eyes, so she prefers to avoid eye contact.

Ame's skin is slightly tanned with patches of lighter skin here and there - over the years she's burned herself a few times while helping Cid and the skin has peeled off in a few places. Her skin is fairly even otherwise.

What she wears differs on the weather, but she often settles on a dark blue spaghetti strap top and short khaki cargo shorts. While Ame loves the feeling of rough bricking or carpet underfoot, she can't really walk everywhere barefoot. When she can she'll take off her shoes (especially when running) which results in light bruising on the arch of both her feet. Otherwise she sticks to black running shoes.

Ame despises earrings and jewellery, and therefore wears none. Her nails are short and soft because she bites them when she's nervous or upset.

It should also be noted that after the third chapter she has a slight graze on the side of her face which she covers with her hair.

* * *

Fascinating, wasn't it? Oh well. Now I won't have to smush in some random paragraph which makes her sound vain and obsessive.  
On a canon note, I will be updating soon! I have the chapter written up, I just need to connect it with the end of the last one properly.. I'm not so good at that.


	7. Chapter 6

I fail at connecting chapters -facepalm-  
I do not own Kingdom Hearts~ I do own Ame. Teehee.

* * *

A few hours later - when Ame was leaning against the counter for support - Cid stormed through the door.  
"Ugh, finally.." she groaned, straightening herself. Ame practically dove over the counter and threw herself onto the lounge. "What took you so long!?"  
"Leon can be a fine idiot sometimes." Cid growled in response.

The two stayed silent for a few moments - Ame slumped across the couch, Cid leaning by the fireplace. Ame looked at her hands. Cid was so stressed lately.. they were running out of munny..  
Her mind strayed.  
"Hey, Dad?"  
"Eh?"  
"I have something to show you~"

**five minutes later.**

Ame had dragged Cid up to the empty Moogle workshop. She sat up here sometimes and drew, so her sketchpad and easel were already set up in the corner.

"Presenting.. Storm~!" Ame twirled, extending her arms and popping her foot behind her. "The latest in gummi ship innovation, invention and intervention!"  
Cid raised an eyebrow at the last one, but grinned all the same. "Designed yourself a ride, have you?"  
"Sure have! It's pretty, too." The first thing that came to Cid's mind when Ame made something 'pretty' was the miniature ships she had made when she was little, out of plastic cubes and play paints. She would present them to him while he was cleaning, and he always turned to look and listen to her explain how it would work and be powered.

Of course, Ame was much older now, and knew better than to think that gummi ships could be powered by love and fairy dust.  
"Okay, so. I know you've gotten an order, but you don't have any time for it."  
"How the devil did you.."  
"You shouldn't leave your papers lying around, Dad. It's like those chests. No matter how high you put them, someone's going to open them and nick all our Elixirs."  
Cid sighed, crossing his arms. "You've designed.. 'Storm' for my client?"  
"Aye, all we need is the parts."

Ame proceeded to (very professionally) outline the purpose of each part, and its type. Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm, and her hands flew across the sketch board. Eventually, Cid leaned back and nodded, raising a hand for her to stop.  
"So.. ?"  
"It's good."  
Ame leaned forward, staring into his roughened eyes. "Aaand?"  
"You do know who this 'client' is, yes?"  
".. Noo."  
"Scrooge McDuck, some old miser. He's the kind who won't accept regular blocks, he prefers the kind which you get from.. them Heartless ships as loot. I was going to reject his request."  
".. Well, you can't! If we did this we'd have more money! Munny's good. It.. buys stuff."  
"If you want me to pull out the Shera and fly around collecting blocks for some snooty duck, you're dreamin'."

Ame sighed, casting her head down. .. Hey, what if _she _did it? She knew how gummi ships worked, and the Shera was just past the town's Exit.. she's sat in it before when she was younger, making 'brr' noises with her lips and yanking at the various levers to no effect.

"Ehn.. Dad?"  
"Aye?" By now, Cid had returned to his duties - making sure his toothpick container was always well stocked, desperately trying to scrub off that weird green heart mark on the floor, and scowling at random intervals.  
"I want to get the parts. I can fly the ship, right?"  
"Well, I suppose you could.." He crossed his arms once again and looked intently at her. "I don't really want you caught up there with all those ships, mind.."  
"I'll avoid them."  
"Worlds are big things, Ame." Ame blinked. _Duh_. "You get one trip. I'll go with you, we'll circle around. That's it."

"I love you too," Ame squealed, wrapping her arms around him.

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How very crappy. Dx Sorry to disappoint; I hurriedly put this up before school starts again. Tuesday is my day of doom Dx


	8. Chapter 7

Please don't kill me! PLEASE! -hides-  
This chapter isn't good at all D: I keep editing the plot - which I'm still planning out - so thank you veryveryveryveryvery much for sticking with me, reviewers! REALLY!  
Also, less oneliner reviews mean more love for you! ;D I don't know what form that love may take.. but you get the idea.

_**I NO OWN KINGDUMB HARTZ K?**_

**Chapter 7  
**_Fear_

* * *

The shadows that fell across her bedsheets shifted whenever Ame fidgeted. She cast her eyes away from them, pulling the sheets over her head. She was scared of the dark now. She didn't know why - well, she had some idea - as a little girl she was fine with the dark.  
Cid didn't like the dark. He said that once where we lived got taken away because of it. Ame never really knew what he meant; she couldn't remember living anywhere but Traverse Town.

Still.. she liked thinking of herself as a fairly brave person, even if really she wasn't. Darkness meant something new now. It wasn't just a change of lighting..

Ame threw her sheets away from her. The sheets piled against eachother, crumpling slightly. Ame drew her knees up to her chin and buried her face in them.  
_I need to get away.._

---

It had been a week since Cid agreed to take Ame on the ship..  
And he hadn't.

Sitting grumpily on the couch had been what Ame did all day for a looong time now. Cid gave her a notebook as a present from Aerith, and Ame had decorated it. It was smooth, with soft yet crisp pages. A pink ribbon was tied around it to keep it closed. Ame had glued a flower she had found on the ground to the cover - it looked like it had been rained on, but still retained a wilted beauty. The petals were browning slightly at the edges.

Ame stared at the book in her lap - she kind of felt bad, cruelly sticking such a pretty thing on to her book. She wasn't even using it.  
"You ever gonna use that thing?" Cid asked. He rubbed his bruised hand self-consciously, having caught it in the till earlier.  
"I don't have anything to put in it, Dad." Ame sighed. Maybe she could draw landscapes in it.. she'd have to imagine them, of course, Traverse Town didn't have such nice scenery. A grin crept over her face.  
"_Speaking of the Shera_.."

---

Ame knew that Cid loved to talk about his Gummi ships and how they worked. It was his favourite thing to do - besides swearing at rude customers once they had left. He didn't do that much anymore; he stuck to his ships. Talking about Gummi didn't involve any munny being lost to the Swear Jar.

"Okay, what does this do?"  
"That's the seat."  
"I see.." Ame crossed her arms, tapping her chin with a wise look on her face. "And these.. 'windows'.. you look through them?" She smushed her face against the windshield, pulling a face.  
"You know, Uncle Barret used to get pretty motion sick near those windows. Took a lot of scrubbing."  
"..." Ame removed her face from the glass.

Cid began explaining the controls to her, but she was lost at turning on the engine. She let her eyes roam.  
The ship wasn't all that large, the insides as choppy as the exterior. There were three seats before a vast control panel, buttons glinting upon it. The seats looked rather comfortable, a deep maroon of smooth fabric, but when Ame sat she found them slightly lumpy. She grasped the first lever she saw - labelled 'Handbrake' - and pulled at it. Nothing.  
"Even if you put in the key you'd get nothin'. Baby's got no fuel."  
".. These things need fuel?"  
"Are you kiddin'? _Everything _needs fuel. Shera needs fuel, Storm'll need fuel, _you _need fuel."  
"Ooh yeah, hook me up with some diesel dumplings." Ame shifted in her seat. "Okay, when can we take off?"  
Cid shrugged.  
"Next week it is! Grr, bwaaaar~" Ame leaned back and forth, tapping the pedals lightly. Her eyes were focused on the back of the garage as she imagined the universe stretched out before her.

* * *

The next chapter will be a while. =_= I'm going to hole myself up and write until I get this darn plot right.  
Which may be never.  
Suggestions are loved, and I would like to pose a question to you, kind reviewers. If I had to pair Ame with anyone, who would you like?  
(I'm just curious.)  
(Say Cid and I will _hurt _you.)


	9. Chapter 8

WHAT'S THIS? I UPDATED?!  
So it would appear, eh?  
Thanks to SoulEaterDark, who saved my butt when I wasn't sure how to start this chapter. I'll consider the pairing of Ame x Riku. (: What would that be? Amiku? Rime? xD  
No pairings involving Ame until I'm totally sure about Ame's personality etc, though =_= I don't want to end up shaping her so she's perfect for whoever I pair her with. Right. Stop talking, B.

Bold Italics = Riku.  
Italics = Ame's thoughts.  
^ To avoid confusion ^

I sandwiched two chapters together because they both seemed too short.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I DO own Ame. Duh.

* * *

"_**Does he plan on getting up eventually, you think?"**_**  
**_**"Nay, he's weakened I'd say." **_**  
**_**"Poor thing. He might starve."**_**  
**_**"He thought we were rain, you know."**_**  
**_**"Never heard of waterfalls running upward I suppose?"**_

_**The waterfalls tittered to each other as they ran upwards, curving over the basin in which the castle was based. **_**  
**_**"Oh, here She comes."**_**  
**_**"Here She comes."**_**  
**_**"Making matters worse, She is."**_**  
**_**"Oh hush, She'll hear you."**_

_**A dark boot kicked at Riku's side, before nudging at his cheek and pushing him onto his back. **_**  
**_**"Get up, boy."**_

Cid closed the large door of the World Exit and rubbed his nose with a sniff. Ame hopped from one foot to the other in excitement. Her, on a Gummi ship. Would it be scary out there in the massive blackness? Where the only light is stars; stars that are slowly fading by the day?  
_Yes._

"C'mon." Cid tugged at his daughter's arm.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Ame walked as slowly as she could across the square, dragging her feet. She didn't want to sleep - that was the _last _thing she wanted to do. Usually the darkness of her room was comforting while she slept, but now it scared her. The light had blown in her room and Cid couldn't be bothered fixing it.

It was probably her teenage imagination, but.. shadows could _move_.. without light flickering..

She eyed the stairs nervously. The store had a few shadows out the front. Cid walked past them without a glance, only turning back to beckon her forward.  
Ame opened her mouth to ask if she could sleep on the couch with the light on, but all that came out was -  
"_Dad!_"

Light glinted from the shadows before they spread, puddles wrapping themselves around Cid's ankles.  
"_Dad_!" Ame ran forward, tripping on the stairs and opening the old wound on the side of her face.  
"Ame, run!" Yuffie?

A block of wood lay by the door to the Second District, and Yuffie had appeared in a whiff of smoke by Cid's side.  
_That's cool._

"But- " Ame croaked. She tried to get to her feet, but a hand on the back of her top pulled her up and patted her on the shoulder. Leon placed himself in front of her; Gunblade glinting.  
"Just run!"

Spinning, Ame ran towards the World Exit. The boy who usually leaned against the lamppost was gone, probably hiding.  
Why wasn't she running back to the shop?  
Right, blobs of darkness were eating away at it. Forgot that.  
Her moogle doll, her sketchbooks.. they all flashed through her mind. She wouldn't lose them would she? The one Aerith gave her.. Ame shoved her hand in her pocket, opening the large door with one hand. The petals of the flower crumpled against her hand.

_#%&*!_

A Heartless pounced on her back, claws scratching at her cheek.

"What is it with you lot and my goddamn _face_?!" She shrieked. The Heartless blinked in confusion as she wrapped her hand around its neck and threw it to the ground. Ame slipped through the Exit and yanked the door closed.

_**"Where.."**_  
_**His cheek stung. The woman had put a scratch down the side of his face, and Riku could feel blood dripping down his cheek and spotting through his hair.  
"Hollow Bastion." Maleficient bent down and forced him into a sitting position. "I've been expecting you, child."**_

Panting.  
That was the only sound. Maybe a slight hum was coming from a dormant ship, or maybe the stars made noises when they twinkled, but all _Ame _could hear was herself panting. She knew her heart was beating loudly in her ears. She knew her mind was racing, trying to find answers.  
_Do I wait or not? Do I open the door now?_

None of it mattered. All that _did _matter was to make sure breath went in and out. In. Out. If she stopped breathing that would be **bad**. Breathe.

Ame's sweating hands were pressed against the sides of her face. Her cheek stung.  
Blood. Not a lot of it, but her hands had spots of it on them when she looked at them. She leaned against the wall - the cool, smooth wall.

The Exit was a strange place. It had been locked tight for a very long time - as long as Ame could remember - until just a bit ago. Now, if any residents of the town could control Gummi ships, the ships could be stored here and flown out. It was just a large, semi-transparent room that got more and more translucent until the very end. There, the stars and the universe took over.  
Ame had a slight urge to walk over the edge and see what happened, but she wasn't stupid. No, that would get her killed.

She pressed her ear to the door. Leon's shouts and Yuffie's cries were still ringing out in the night, with an occasional grunt and a bang. Was Cid fighting?  
Either way, she couldn't go out; not yet. _Shera_ caught her eye. Ame crossed the room - watching the stars shine under her feet - and ran her hands over it. Her fingers caught on the door latch, fresh air spilling from the open space temptingly.

_**"Abandoned by your own friends.. but no matter. If you and I were to work together, we could take care of them."  
Take care of them how? Riku thought. The green-skinned woman was blunt, but still her words were riddles.  
He could manage himself, couldn't he? Even if this witch screwed him over, he'd get himself out of it.  
Wait, abandoned? When.. Sora wouldn't go with him, that was it. Stupid scared Sora, have you messed everything up?  
**__  
Questions, questions, questions. To joyride or not to joyride. Not really a question is it, there's no question mark._

* * *

To joyride or not to joyride?  
Something's starting to HAPPEN? This update is FULL of surprises, I tell you.  
Ame swore in her head, yes. I kind of want to keep this K+ rating I have going on, but there might be a tad bit of swearing. Would you mind if I raised the rating to T? (Unless I already have and I'm too idiot to realise)


	10. Chapter 9

I'MSOSORRY  
-grovels at feet-  
I am the WORST writer ever. -sniffle-

Please forgive me ;__;  
I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS. BECAUSE I FAIL AT DOING THINGS WHEN I SAY I WILL DX

* * *

Ame wasn't the type to break rules. Rules are there to keep people safe, to make sure people don't overstep their limits.  
Of course, if there were no blatant rules to start with, she didn't have too big a problem of stepping around them and doing what she pleased. She was a teenager, after all. Teenagers are rebellious.  
While 'It's because I'm a teenager!' probably wouldn't go over well with Cid, Ame didn't have any hesitation in her as she slid into the seat.  
Even when she clicked at the controls, pulled lightly at the clutch and slammed the door closed, Ame didn't feel an inch of nervousness creep through her. It was when the ship began to hum as her foot pressed down the accelerator that she began to have second thoughts.

Maybe it didn't have enough fuel to take her somewhere and back. Maybe -

**"Eeeek!"**

Ame felt her spine flatten painfully against the hard seat. The Exit seemed to vanish in a second, the ship thrusting itself out into the nothingness. Her feet bounced against the floor, and she couldn't shove them back onto the pedals properly. Pain seared up her leg as her right foot got caught under the brake when her left foot was pushing on to it.  
"Ow," she choked out. Tears obscured her vision - she couldn't see. Ame reached up to wipe them out of her eyes, the steering lever vibrating and smacking at her palms when she put her hand back on it.  
"Stupid thing!" Frustration overtook her and she punched at the gear shift uselessly. ".. Brake. BRAKE. Brake you #! -"  
Quickly, she slammed her hand against the ComScreen's ON button. Maybe some passing ship would-

**"ARGH!"**

It had been a stupid idea. It was just a quick ride; Ame didn't know ships could spin out of control like that. She didn't think. Ame never really was a thinker - whether it came to lighting a candle when the gas oven was on, or that one time when she pulled at a Moogle's nose when she had assumed it was a plush doll of some sort - and thinkers are the ones who control ships. People who know risks and know their limits.  
What Ame didn't know was that a 'thinker' and his two companions had crashed on a strange, leafy world a few hours ago the same way she had just crashed through several pillars and fallen into a sandy courtyard.  
_  
_"Urmph... ow.." Pain flew through Ame's veins. Her face seemed to be resting some kind of sandy ground, and her palms were soaked with sweat. The sand stuck to her cheek, sun beating down on her. Her leg hurt. Unimaginable hurt. A glaze settled over her eyes and she pushed her head against the sand. Ame twisted and convulsed, trying to shake the pain out of her leg. She flattened herself against the ground and lay there for longer than she cared to think about.

--

The pain was fading. Not all of it - her leg still felt like it was fire - but her head no longer throbbed with the same ferocity as before.  
Her ribs hurt too, like someone had beat them with a metal pipe and left her for dead.

Ame felt something hot and wet on her cheek - not blood.. tears.. well, that made sense..

When Ame managed to stand up, she found her knees to be grazed and stinging and a few small cuts on her hands. Her hair was probably messed beyond recognition, but she couldn't really tell.  
She looked around at her surroundings, squinting in the heat. A large building stood before her, very grand in appearance. Two statues posed before the door, dressed in gladiator-like armour. Around that were lit lamps and boards with illegible writing on them in a dull gold. The area she was in appeared to be small in comparison to the aura that building gave off...

Ame took a step forward and winced.  
She managed to ignore the pain in her leg, dragging herself towards the door.

..

Pushing at the door, she slammed her fists against it. She couldn't force it open - the gash on her arm spotted blood against the door. Wait, when did she get a gash? She hadn't felt _that_..  
.. Oh. Wait. Now she did. _Ow_.  
"Help!" she called. "Please, I'm really hurt!"  
"Hurt?" Came a voice behind her.

Ame turned her head, wincing. A tall man was standing at the bottom of the steps, with hair that looked like fire - it even _moved_ - and eyes that burned harder than any other fire could. His nails were long and pointed, set on thin fingers. He was blue, too. Weird.  
"Um. Yeah." Ame leaned against the wall. "Could you open this door for me?"  
"Sure thing, kid."  
She grinned.  
"I _could_. _Buuuut _I'm looking for someone. Not you."

Ame frowned and turned away. Rude much?  
This guy gave her the creeps, though. What was he wearing? It looked like some weird tattered blanket. Maybe that's what people wore here..  
"So, you look pretty beat up." He said, slinging an arm over her hurt shoulder. She winced again. His skin felt like it was burning her.  
"Leave me alone," she muttered.  
"Well, no need to be _rude~"  
"Hades!"_

The man took his arm off Ame, and she ducked away from him. She frantically shifted her gaze to wherever the voice had come from. Her eyes met those of a young woman's.  
"Where's Cloud?" The woman's dark hair was tied back in a very loose ponytail by a red band, and a few loose strands fluttered over her face in the breeze.  
"Toodle-oo~"

*Ame groaned and pinched her cheek lightly. Usually when she was dreaming she would pinch herself on the cheek and she would wake up. Her little technique had saved her from many monsters of her nightmares.

But now..

"Here, take this, okay?" Cool glass was being pressed to her lips. Ame opened them and felt an icy liquid trail its way down her dry throat. "I'm Tifa."  
"Ame," Ame croaked. The pain in her leg was easing, and her arms felt numb.  
"Phil!" Tifa called, banging her fist against the door. "Wake up, you lazy lump!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming.. WHO ARE YOU TO ORDER ME AR- oh. It's you, Tifa" Phil opened the door slightly, looking through the crack. Tifa stood in front of him, one hand on her hip and the other lightly supporting a woozy blonde girl.  
Tifa pushed past him, dragging the girl behind her and shoved the door shut. "She's injured, Phil."  
"Let's see here..." Phil stepped forward and peered at Ame's forehead, making her shrink back.  
"He just wants to help, Ame." Tifa said gently, pushing the girl slightly.

Phil grabbed a small box out from under the table Tifa was leaning against and selected a pink-ish looking bottle. Ame eyed it warily, not liking the look of it. She cringed when he shook some out on a scrap of cloth, and watched it with almost scared eyes as it came to her arm.

Ame hissed and squirmed when Tifa pressed the cold cloth to her arm. She bit her lip, feeling the chapped skin against her teeth.  
"It'll stop infection.. I think." Tifa smirked and smoothed her hair back slightly. Ame focused on stopping her brain from bursting out of her head.  
_Home, home, home. Just think of home._

This 'Tifa' could heal her, and then she could get back home.. Wait, where'd the Shera go?  
Ame squeezed her eyes shut. She remembered her foot getting stuck underneath the brake pedal.. her arm banging against the door as she attempted to curl herself into a ball.. and two bright green lights scaring the beejeezus out of her before she passed out.

_**"What a nuisance."  
"What did you just do?"  
"Showing you what I can do. Especially if you happen to change your mind about our agreement."  
"I won't."  
Riku cast his eyes downward, trying to clear the image of the shrieking blonde girl out of his head and only thinking of Kairi. **_**I have to get her heart back, **_**he thought.**_

* * *

Isn't that lovely.  
HERE'S THE QUESTION OF THE ... CHAPTER.  
What's the biggest thing that annoys you about OCs? ;)


	11. Chapter 10

You can thank my Music teacher for this (finally!) updated chapter. Stupid guy was too busy twittering (or is it tweeting?) on his iPhone to notice what his students were doing during an exam. I tried my best to make it long for you. :)  
No, I'll never drop it without saying so. I've just developed a SeiferHayner obsession, but I'm focused on this again now... I might rewrite some of the previous chapters though to inspire myself xD  
**No KH ownage here.**

* * *

The time had finally come for Ame to ask that one fateful question that determined the fate of many a lost and confused traveller, the question for which there are many many answers, the question-

"Where am I?" Ame asked, swinging her legs over the block she had been laying on. The pink liquid on her arm still stung, but it was better than the pain in her leg, and seemed to numb it slightly.  
"_The _Coliseum, where else?" The stout horned .. man-thing .. that Ame figured was 'Phil' trotted away from her. "Y'see these? Ever seen polished babies like these?" He gestured to a ledge above him where various multi-coloured trophies rested.  
"Uh.." The closest thing Ame had seen to a shiny statue like that was a strange cactus clock Cid had bought to decorate the shop. She could remember the porcelain clock rather clearly - it had arms that would stiffly move up and down, and a gaping mouth. What brand was it again.. ? A cac.. cactustar.. ?  
"Didn't think so!" Phil said gruffly.  
"Cactuar!" Ame cried out with a grin.  
"Where?!" Tifa shrieked, covering her head with her hands.  
"Darned if I know how you got here, though.." Phil grumbled.

Ame bit her lip and stared at the ground. All his grumbling was reminding Ame of Cid.

"My journal.." she muttered. Tifa was walking over to the door to peer out, and Phil was straightening the NO ENTRY sign on the other doorway.  
"You're real good at blurting out random words, huh?" Tifa teased, turning away from the door. Her hands were still slightly shaky, but she beamed at Ame.

Ame pulled the book out of her pocket, frowning at how crumpled and ruined it was.  
"Oh, how pretty." Tifa crouched beside her and smiled. "Did you decorate it?"  
"The flower, yeah. Um. Tifa?"  
"Yeah?"  
"When can I go home?"

Phil made a noise, and Tifa wrapped her hands around Ame's hand.  
"Well.. I have a friend who can help you. He knows how to get around - he's not here .. yet. But he'll get here. Right Phil?"  
"Suure, I bet he's '_getting around'_ fine.. Blondies always do."  
"Phil! She's young!"

It felt awkward being with people who obviously all knew each other. In a tiny space..  
Ame paled. _Oh god, oh god.  
What if Dad got hurt? And then Leon did? And then Yuffie and Aerith and..  
You're lost, you don't know what to do and you're going to live in this stupid small room with a goat and a brunette girl and.._

Her cheeks tightened.  
"How about you come outside, okay?" Tifa murmured, gently guiding Ame up. She put Ame's journal beside the trophies as she pushed away the NO ENTRY sign and took Ame through to the arena, ignoring Phil's shouts.

--

"So .. you live here?"

Ame was sitting on one of the many steps surrounding the arena, staring out at the sky. How far was she from Traverse Town? Could she walk? If she did walk, where would she end up?  
_Or maybe I'd keep walking and walking and drop off the end of the world._

"For now. I'm waiting for Cloud." Tifa glanced over at Ame. "I live in Gaia. Lived. Whatever."  
"So.. you're like, on holiday?" Ame tapped her feet against the steps.  
"Sure, a holiday." Tifa laughed. "Do you know how you got here?"  
"There was a fight.. and I ran off. I couldn't fight."  
"You're only young. You shouldn't have to fight."  
"But it would be kinda cool. Because girls who fight are cool, right? And then I could defend myself and.." Ame's eyes caught on Tifa's glove. ".. could you teach me?!"  
"Teach you how to fight?"

Tifa bit her lip and looked over Ame with dark eyes.  
"Besides, it's not like I'm little. Not lanky either. I'm just right, hey?" Ame muttered. "And I help Dad lift boxes.." She showed Tifa the light bruises on the insides of her wrists.  
"Is your dad nice?" Tifa cleared her throat.  
"Yeah, he is. I love him and stuff."  
"Okay. Come on."

Tifa smiled and led Ame down the steps, taking notice of Ame's grazes. When they got down to ground level, Tifa handed Ame a pair of light brown gloves.  
"I use these so I don't break my gloves when I'm training."  
Ame looked at her with wide eyes. Tifa shrugged.  
"I'm strong," she said, eyes twinkling.

The brown leather of the glove seemed to squeak slightly against Ame's hand. Try as she may, it seemed impossible to fit it over her hand. The blonde growled at her own fist for a moment.  
"Tifa.." she whined. "It won't fit."  
"Here," Tifa strode over and took the gloves out of her hands. With two swift motions she ripped the fingers clean off the gloves and handed them back to a shocked Ame. "Told you I was strong." Tifa said with a giggle.

The gloves fit over her hand fine now, and Ame embraced the freedom her fingers had. The gloves covered about half of the bottom of her fingers. The fabric seemed harder around her knuckles.  
"Okay, so, what's my weapon?"  
"Those." Tifa pointed at Ame's hands.  
".. What? Wait, no! I can't fight with just my hands!"  
"Why not?" Tifa asked.

Ame struggled for a moment. Tifa's dark eyes bored into her.  
"You have to be strong, Ame."  
Ame looked up at her, slightly bewildered.  
"What people use reflects who they are. If you throw things - like knives - that shows that you are putting trust in your weapon to come back to you. Or even that you don't appreciate things; it depends. Someone with a sword lets their power out through it, empowering something that by itself has no real use. It's all about letting out your strength." Tifa's hair was picked up by the wind as she talked, but the red tie seemed to be locked in place.

"And if I just fight like this.. ?" Ame punched the air weakly. Tifa nodded and smiled.  
"You're using the power within yourself, and keeping it to yourself. If someone loses their sword in a fight, to them, they've been defeated. But if you fight with your own strength, no-one can ever take that away from you."  
"..." Ame looked at her hands. She wasn't really sure if she had enough strength for that.. but she didn't want to disappoint Tifa, who had been so nice to her..  
"Okay. Teach me - please."  
"That's the spirit!"

_  
__**"No heart, no see friends."**_

Ame never had been very good at fighting. She had the body for it, but her limbs could never move the way they should - never with the right force. Plus, her balance was a little off from gaining too much muscle too quick (Cid should've known forcing your five-year-old daughter to stack shelves is never a good idea). But Tifa guided her carefully, helping her.

"And you straighten your leg all the way out- " Tifa placed her hand around the crook of Ame's knee and straightened her leg out for her.  
"That tickles."  
Tifa giggled. "Focus."  
"Okay, okay.."

Ame was maintaining a good pattern of lifting her legs up and down in a kind of weak off-centre kick when a masculine voice called out in greeting, causing her to lose her balance.  
"Hercules!" Tifa turned to meet the voice, not noticing as Ame fell with a light 'thump'.  
"Ow!" Ame groaned. She ran her hand over her old graze, biting her lip. Tifa was talking with the newcomer.

_I should be trying to get home, not letting some stranger help me out._  
But this was all so _fun_. Like in that adventure book Ame read once that Leon gave her for her birthday. It wasn't so much an adventure book as a fairytale, but it seemed fairly adventurous at the time. She wasn't very good at reading (she still wasn't), so Cid read to her. It was very amusing to hear her father put on high-pitched voices for the female characters.

Shaking her head to get rid of the image of Cid in a girl's dress, Ame looked up at the man Tifa was talking to.  
_.. Is he even human?_

Muscles.  
**Lots **of muscles. On his arms, his legs - even his _chin_. Ame gaped, staring.  
_He can _not _be real.___

__"Ame, this is Hercules. He lives here."  
"Hi."  
Stare.  
"Hiya. You guys might want to clear out, Hades is sending another 'demon of the demonic abyss of the demon realm' for me to fight."  
"Have you seen Cloud?" Tifa asked.  
Hercules shook his head, a single bronze curl falling over his eyes. He looked like a big muscled baby with his rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes.  
"Um, Tifa?" Ame asked, still on the ground.  
"Yeah?"  
"When can I go home?"

Tifa frowned, her eyes seeming to search for something within Ame's.  
"Soon, sweetie. Once Cloud turns up."  
"Or anyone else with a ship?" Ame said hopefully.  
"Maybe."  
_  
__**"Friends, here."**_

* * *

Reviews make me happy, etc etc :3  
I'm gonna replay KH so I can get my facts right. The last quote is when Tarzan's pointing to the waterfall (basically, Sora's done with Deep Jungle), but I'm pretty much positive I got it wrong. Meep.  
QUESTION.. hrm~ Okay. For pure fun, say Ame goes to Pride Lands. What colour is her fur and what does she look like? :P


	12. Don't Get Excited

Sorry, lovely reviewers, ATR (along with all my other currently running fics) is being **SHUT DOWN. **Why? Very personal issues drove me away from Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy and towards shows like Skins and Torchwood. Yay, Britain.  
So, if you're watching this account just for Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy updates, stop watching me. Your inbox is going to be spammed up with Pushing Daisies, Doctor Who and very un-KH like stories.

Thankyou all for your reviews and support. AME LIVES ON WITH YOU! :D

You can keep this story on your Alert, if you like. Maybe someday I'll revive it.. o:


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